Monthly Archives: December 2020

Build Your Own Enterprise-D From Star Trek: The Next Generation

Hero Collector is well known to fans for their collectibles based on popular entertainment properties, and for Trekkies that includes their popular line of die-cast starship models through the Eaglemoss imprint. And now they've announced perhaps their biggest -- literally -- collectible yet: a two-foot long model of the Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. But this is more than just a model. It is at the heart of a new program from Hero Collector. The Build the U.S.S. Enterprise-D subscription program will let participants receive regular deliveries of parts and simple instructions in order to put this Galaxy-class bad boy together in installments (and don't worry, there's no glue or paint needed). Watch the exclusive video below or at the top of this page for more on the model, from Hero Collector creative lead Ben Robinson. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/08/build-your-own-enterprise-d-from-star-trek-the-next-generation"] Here's more on the model, and the program, from the Hero Collector press release: Based on a careful study of the different studio models used in filming, the model replicates every last detail of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, from its phaser strips and RCS thrusters to the Captain's yacht, including:
  • Expert color-matching to the starship’s on-screen appearance
  • Decals to capture the tiniest details of each component
  • Saucer and stardrive sections that can be cleanly separated for display, just as seen on screen
  • Working internal lights that match the original studio model, illuminating the ship's windows, engines, navigation lights, and main deflector
  • Separate power sources for the stardrive and saucer sections, to keep both lit

Every issue in this subscription comes with simple instructions, labelled and color-coded for ease of assembly – and is also packed with extra features for Star Trek fans. With each delivery, you’ll build a collector’s guide of behind the scenes information, insightful interviews, and astounding art from the people who made TNG, starting with how Andy Probert designed the Enterprise-D itself! If you're interested in registering for this program, head over to build-model-enterprise.com. And for a closer look at the model, check out the images below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=build-your-own-enterprise-d-from-star-trek-the-next-generation&captions=true"]

Build Your Own Enterprise-D From Star Trek: The Next Generation

Hero Collector is well known to fans for their collectibles based on popular entertainment properties, and for Trekkies that includes their popular line of die-cast starship models through the Eaglemoss imprint. And now they've announced perhaps their biggest -- literally -- collectible yet: a two-foot long model of the Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. But this is more than just a model. It is at the heart of a new program from Hero Collector. The Build the U.S.S. Enterprise-D subscription program will let participants receive regular deliveries of parts and simple instructions in order to put this Galaxy-class bad boy together in installments (and don't worry, there's no glue or paint needed). Watch the exclusive video below or at the top of this page for more on the model, from Hero Collector creative lead Ben Robinson. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/08/build-your-own-enterprise-d-from-star-trek-the-next-generation"] Here's more on the model, and the program, from the Hero Collector press release: Based on a careful study of the different studio models used in filming, the model replicates every last detail of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, from its phaser strips and RCS thrusters to the Captain's yacht, including:
  • Expert color-matching to the starship’s on-screen appearance
  • Decals to capture the tiniest details of each component
  • Saucer and stardrive sections that can be cleanly separated for display, just as seen on screen
  • Working internal lights that match the original studio model, illuminating the ship's windows, engines, navigation lights, and main deflector
  • Separate power sources for the stardrive and saucer sections, to keep both lit


Every issue in this subscription comes with simple instructions, labelled and color-coded for ease of assembly – and is also packed with extra features for Star Trek fans. With each delivery, you’ll build a collector’s guide of behind the scenes information, insightful interviews, and astounding art from the people who made TNG, starting with how Andy Probert designed the Enterprise-D itself! If you're interested in registering for this program, head over to build-model-enterprise.com. And for a closer look at the model, check out the images below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=build-your-own-enterprise-d-from-star-trek-the-next-generation&captions=true"]

Wonder Woman 1984 Exclusive Posters Reveal New Looks at Cheetah, Maxwell Lord

Wonder Woman 1984 is less than three short weeks away from flying into a theater (or HBO Max streaming service) near you, and to celebrate, IGN has four exclusive character posters to reveal. Keeping with the psychedelic, '80s-inspired aesthetic the Patty Jenkins-directed flick has embraced, these character posters offer up new looks at Gal Gadot's Diana Prince (in her full Kingdom Come-inspired armor), Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Kristen Wiig as Barbara Minerva a.k.a Cheetah, and Pedro Pascal as villain Maxwell Lord. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wonder-woman-1984-exclusive-character-posters&captions=true"] While Gadot's Wonder Woman and Pine's Steve Trevor reprise their roles from the first Wonder Woman (though we still don't know how exactly Steve Trevor is back), Wiig's Barbara Minerva and Pascal's Maxwell Lord are two newcomers to the live-action DC universe. Jenkins recently told IGN that adapting a live-action version of Cheetah was the most "harrowing" part of the new movie. "I knew that I wanted Cheetah to be in it. But from day one, I was like, 'Woo, this has got to be right,'" Jenkins told reporters over a Zoom call. "I was so scared about not getting it to look right. It took every second from the moment we started prep until the moment we locked the picture to get it there. Every single second was so hard to do." These new images come only several days after the first reactions to WW84 hit the web as critics finally began to screen the long-anticipated DC film. IGN's Jim Vejvoda says the movie "a lot of fun and has a very heartwarming and hopeful message that, frankly, we really need this year." Watch the latest trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/wonder-woman-1984-ccxp-trailer"] Wonder Woman 1984 will be released on HBO Max and in theaters in the United States on December 25th, and Jenkins confirmed WW84 will be available to stream in 4K, along with support for HDR 10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. International audiences will get to see the movie even earlier, as it hits theaters in the UK and Europe on December 16th. In fact, WW84 is the first of many Warner Bros. movies that will make a simultaneous debut on HBO Max and in theaters in the next year. WB surprised Hollywood with the industry-shaking news that all 17 films in its 2021 slate -- including Dune, Matrix 4, Tom & Jerry and The Suicide Squad -- will be available on HBO Max in the United States starting the day of their theatrical release for one month at no additional cost to subscribers. (Internationally, their releases will continue as planned.) Here's what IGN's Max Scoville thinks are the pros and cons of WB's game-changing HBO Max move. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/04/the-pros-and-cons-of-wbs-industry-shaking-move"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Terri Schwartz is Director of Content Strategy and Partnerships at IGN. Talk to her on Twitter at @Terri_Schwartz.

Wonder Woman 1984 Exclusive Posters Reveal New Looks at Cheetah, Maxwell Lord

Wonder Woman 1984 is less than three short weeks away from flying into a theater (or HBO Max streaming service) near you, and to celebrate, IGN has four exclusive character posters to reveal. Keeping with the psychedelic, '80s-inspired aesthetic the Patty Jenkins-directed flick has embraced, these character posters offer up new looks at Gal Gadot's Diana Prince (in her full Kingdom Come-inspired armor), Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Kristen Wiig as Barbara Minerva a.k.a Cheetah, and Pedro Pascal as villain Maxwell Lord. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wonder-woman-1984-exclusive-character-posters&captions=true"] While Gadot's Wonder Woman and Pine's Steve Trevor reprise their roles from the first Wonder Woman (though we still don't know how exactly Steve Trevor is back), Wiig's Barbara Minerva and Pascal's Maxwell Lord are two newcomers to the live-action DC universe. Jenkins recently told IGN that adapting a live-action version of Cheetah was the most "harrowing" part of the new movie. "I knew that I wanted Cheetah to be in it. But from day one, I was like, 'Woo, this has got to be right,'" Jenkins told reporters over a Zoom call. "I was so scared about not getting it to look right. It took every second from the moment we started prep until the moment we locked the picture to get it there. Every single second was so hard to do." These new images come only several days after the first reactions to WW84 hit the web as critics finally began to screen the long-anticipated DC film. IGN's Jim Vejvoda says the movie "a lot of fun and has a very heartwarming and hopeful message that, frankly, we really need this year." Watch the latest trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/wonder-woman-1984-ccxp-trailer"] Wonder Woman 1984 will be released on HBO Max and in theaters in the United States on December 25th, and Jenkins confirmed WW84 will be available to stream in 4K, along with support for HDR 10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. International audiences will get to see the movie even earlier, as it hits theaters in the UK and Europe on December 16th. In fact, WW84 is the first of many Warner Bros. movies that will make a simultaneous debut on HBO Max and in theaters in the next year. WB surprised Hollywood with the industry-shaking news that all 17 films in its 2021 slate -- including Dune, Matrix 4, Tom & Jerry and The Suicide Squad -- will be available on HBO Max in the United States starting the day of their theatrical release for one month at no additional cost to subscribers. (Internationally, their releases will continue as planned.) Here's what IGN's Max Scoville thinks are the pros and cons of WB's game-changing HBO Max move. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/04/the-pros-and-cons-of-wbs-industry-shaking-move"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Terri Schwartz is Director of Content Strategy and Partnerships at IGN. Talk to her on Twitter at @Terri_Schwartz.

‘Dueling Dinosaur’ Fossil Shows Potential T.rex and Triceratops Battle

A Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops horridus lay dead in close proximity. The T.rex has a broken finger, and some of its teeth are sunk into the Triceratops’ spine. Some calamity or perhaps swampy conditions caused them to be buried together. But were the two actually battling right before death or were the injuries sustained after death? That’s what researchers at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will find out, now that they’ve taken possession of the “dueling dinosaurs” fossil.

Even if there weren’t signs of a struggle between the T.rex and Triceratops, the fossil would still have a lot to intrigue paleontologists. “There will literally be thousands of studies done on these fossils,” paleontologist Tyler Lyson of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, told National Geographic.

These are some of the most complete dinosaur skeletons ever found, and they’re articulated. That means both dinosaurs have most of their pieces in the proper place. Often, fossil skeletons are found with bones strewn about haphazardly. The Triceratops’ forelimbs are either still encased in sediment or were taken by scavengers before they could be preserved.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dueling-dinosaurs-fossil-photo-gallery&captions=true"]

In 2006, commercial fossil hunter Clayton Phipps and his cousin Chad O’Connor found the Triceratops protruding from the Hell Creek Formation in Montana. Instead of just removing the bones, they kept everything encased in the surrounding sedimentary rock. Not only did this keep the bones in their proper places, it also preserved some important evidence, including body outlines and potential impressions from other soft tissue. The skin on the Triceratops’ horns and hips left indentions.

"The preservation is phenomenal, and we plan to use every technological innovation available to reveal new information on the biology of T. rex and Triceratops,” said Dr. Lindsay Zanno, head of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in a press release. “This fossil will forever change our view of the world’s two favorite dinosaurs.”

[poilib element="poll" parameters="id=ffa298f5-ea85-40cd-bea7-64cd3baf66f0"]

To supplement the information from the fossil, Zanno and her team will travel to Montana to see the site where Phipps and O’Connor found it. “If we couldn’t go to the site where the specimens were discovered and collect that data ourselves, then the specimens would be much less valuable from a scientific perspective,” Zanno told National Geographic.

The unique fossil’s journey from Montana to North Carolina was long and litigious. After Phipps and his team got it out of the hillside, they kept it in storage, expecting a museum to snap it up. It went up for auction in 2013, but no one met the $6-million minimum bid. Then the fossil got caught up in a legal struggle over ownership rights.  Finally, the Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences used private funds to purchase the Dueling Dinosaurs and donated it to the museum.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/08/dueling-dinosaurs-fossil-shows-potential-trex-fight"]

To accommodate what it expects to be enormous interest from the public, the museum will begin renovating next year to create a new SECU DinoLab. Visitors will be able to watch scientists as they study the fossil. "The way we have designed the entire experience — inviting the public to follow the scientific discoveries in real time and participate in the research — will set a new standard for museums,” said Zanno. The fossil will go on display in 2022.

Future work on the fossil could include looking at the Triceratops’ stomach contents or extracting any remaining molecules from the specimen. Researchers will look for evidence of feathers on the T.rex, as well.

For more dino news, check out how Stan the T.rex became the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold and read about the Spinosaurus becoming the first known swimming dinosaur earlier this year.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Jenny McGrath is a science writer for IGN. She never tweets, but here she is @JennyMcGeez.

‘Dueling Dinosaur’ Fossil Shows Potential T.rex and Triceratops Battle

A Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops horridus lay dead in close proximity. The T.rex has a broken finger, and some of its teeth are sunk into the Triceratops’ spine. Some calamity or perhaps swampy conditions caused them to be buried together. But were the two actually battling right before death or were the injuries sustained after death? That’s what researchers at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will find out, now that they’ve taken possession of the “dueling dinosaurs” fossil.

Even if there weren’t signs of a struggle between the T.rex and Triceratops, the fossil would still have a lot to intrigue paleontologists. “There will literally be thousands of studies done on these fossils,” paleontologist Tyler Lyson of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, told National Geographic.

These are some of the most complete dinosaur skeletons ever found, and they’re articulated. That means both dinosaurs have most of their pieces in the proper place. Often, fossil skeletons are found with bones strewn about haphazardly. The Triceratops’ forelimbs are either still encased in sediment or were taken by scavengers before they could be preserved.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dueling-dinosaurs-fossil-photo-gallery&captions=true"]

In 2006, commercial fossil hunter Clayton Phipps and his cousin Chad O’Connor found the Triceratops protruding from the Hell Creek Formation in Montana. Instead of just removing the bones, they kept everything encased in the surrounding sedimentary rock. Not only did this keep the bones in their proper places, it also preserved some important evidence, including body outlines and potential impressions from other soft tissue. The skin on the Triceratops’ horns and hips left indentions.

"The preservation is phenomenal, and we plan to use every technological innovation available to reveal new information on the biology of T. rex and Triceratops,” said Dr. Lindsay Zanno, head of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in a press release. “This fossil will forever change our view of the world’s two favorite dinosaurs.”

[poilib element="poll" parameters="id=ffa298f5-ea85-40cd-bea7-64cd3baf66f0"]

To supplement the information from the fossil, Zanno and her team will travel to Montana to see the site where Phipps and O’Connor found it. “If we couldn’t go to the site where the specimens were discovered and collect that data ourselves, then the specimens would be much less valuable from a scientific perspective,” Zanno told National Geographic.

The unique fossil’s journey from Montana to North Carolina was long and litigious. After Phipps and his team got it out of the hillside, they kept it in storage, expecting a museum to snap it up. It went up for auction in 2013, but no one met the $6-million minimum bid. Then the fossil got caught up in a legal struggle over ownership rights.  Finally, the Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences used private funds to purchase the Dueling Dinosaurs and donated it to the museum.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/08/dueling-dinosaurs-fossil-shows-potential-trex-fight"]

To accommodate what it expects to be enormous interest from the public, the museum will begin renovating next year to create a new SECU DinoLab. Visitors will be able to watch scientists as they study the fossil. "The way we have designed the entire experience — inviting the public to follow the scientific discoveries in real time and participate in the research — will set a new standard for museums,” said Zanno. The fossil will go on display in 2022.

Future work on the fossil could include looking at the Triceratops’ stomach contents or extracting any remaining molecules from the specimen. Researchers will look for evidence of feathers on the T.rex, as well.

For more dino news, check out how Stan the T.rex became the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold and read about the Spinosaurus becoming the first known swimming dinosaur earlier this year.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Jenny McGrath is a science writer for IGN. She never tweets, but here she is @JennyMcGeez.

Ghost of Tsushima Wins Player’s Voice Award at The Game Awards

Geoff Keighley has revealed that Ghost of Tsushima is The Game Awards Player's Voice Award winner this year after three rounds of voting from fans. The Game Awards will take place on December 10 and it's there that awards like Best Narrative, Best Direction, and of course, Game of the Year, will be announced. These awards are voted on by both a curated voting jury and fans, but in those instances, the voting jury accounts for 90% of the vote while the fan vote accounts for the other 10%. That's not the case in the Player's Voice Award – which is entirely decided upon by fans, or really anyone who signs in to The Game Awards to vote. There's no vote weighing involved with this award so Ghost of Tsushima is the game that got the most total votes out of all the other nominees. It beat out other 2020 releases like The Last of Us Part II, Hades, and Doom Eternal. Ghost of Tsushima saw its placement in the rankings shift each round. It had a 3% lead over TLOU2 during the second round of voting – 14% and 11% of the votes respectively – and then when the final round began on December 6, TLOU2 climbed to 43% of the vote while Ghost of Tsushima only had 31%. Then, with just four hours to go before the closing of votes, Ghost of Tsushima jumped up to 47% and TLOU2 dropped to 33%. That was the last update Keighley gave of the voting percentages before announcing Tuesday that Ghost of Tsushima is the Player's Voice Award winner for The Game Awards this year. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/16/the-first-18-minutes-of-ghost-of-tsushima-legends"] Read our thoughts on the game in our Ghost of Tsushima review and then read about how multiplayer has always been a pillar of Sucker Punch's plans for the game with Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. If you haven't yet played the game, the PlayStation 5 is a great place to do so as the game runs at 60fps via Game Boost on the PS5. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes

Ghost of Tsushima Wins Player’s Voice Award at The Game Awards

Geoff Keighley has revealed that Ghost of Tsushima is The Game Awards Player's Voice Award winner this year after three rounds of voting from fans. The Game Awards will take place on December 10 and it's there that awards like Best Narrative, Best Direction, and of course, Game of the Year, will be announced. These awards are voted on by both a curated voting jury and fans, but in those instances, the voting jury accounts for 90% of the vote while the fan vote accounts for the other 10%. That's not the case in the Player's Voice Award – which is entirely decided upon by fans, or really anyone who signs in to The Game Awards to vote. There's no vote weighing involved with this award so Ghost of Tsushima is the game that got the most total votes out of all the other nominees. It beat out other 2020 releases like The Last of Us Part II, Hades, and Doom Eternal. Ghost of Tsushima saw its placement in the rankings shift each round. It had a 3% lead over TLOU2 during the second round of voting – 14% and 11% of the votes respectively – and then when the final round began on December 6, TLOU2 climbed to 43% of the vote while Ghost of Tsushima only had 31%. Then, with just four hours to go before the closing of votes, Ghost of Tsushima jumped up to 47% and TLOU2 dropped to 33%. That was the last update Keighley gave of the voting percentages before announcing Tuesday that Ghost of Tsushima is the Player's Voice Award winner for The Game Awards this year. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/16/the-first-18-minutes-of-ghost-of-tsushima-legends"] Read our thoughts on the game in our Ghost of Tsushima review and then read about how multiplayer has always been a pillar of Sucker Punch's plans for the game with Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. If you haven't yet played the game, the PlayStation 5 is a great place to do so as the game runs at 60fps via Game Boost on the PS5. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes

CoD: Black Ops Cold War – Xbox Players Being Locked Out of Game By ‘Blackout Trial’ Bug

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War received a major update today ahead of its huge Season One content drop - but some Xbox players are suffering from a strange bug that seems to be a holdover from the last game in the sub-series, Black Ops 4. The 'Blackout Trial' bug seemingly locks players out from the game, despite them owning the full version. CharlieIntel points out that, following the update, many players on social media have reported booting the game to find an error screen saying "Blackout Trial has ended", with the only options being to leave the game or buy the full version. These players own the full version of the new game, and are given no option to bypass the screen, meaning the game is unplayable.

Updated Cold War this morning, now I’m getting this message and can no longer access Multiplayer or Zombies?

...and yes, I have the full version.@charlieINTEL pic.twitter.com/jQ8styfzkR — (@MolyneuxLuke) December 8, 2020
Blackout was the battle royale mode included in the last Black Ops game, 2018's Black Ops 4. While Blackout's map does seem to be returning to Call of Duty: Warzone in some form, Blackout itself is not currently a part of Black Ops Cold War, making this a strange bug to encounter in the new game. We've contacted publisher Activision for comment on the bug. For now, there's no official fix, although some players are reporting that heading to Xbox's "Manage Game and Add-Ons" section for Black Ops Cold War and making sure that all content packs are correctly installed and applied can fix the issue. Others, however, are reporting that the fix isn't 100% effective. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/17/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-multiplayer-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.